Glutinous Rice Wine

I have to confess that i have shyed away from brewing glutinous rice wine at home for the longest ever, all because of all the superstitions pertaining to brewing wine at home. I finally buck up courage together with inspiration from my friend, Claire and tried making 2 batches, one plain and one with red rice yeast. Claire came to help and all we had to do was to blend the yeast and start assembling the rice for brewing. I had prepped the rice earlier by cooking it in the rice cooker, so that it will be cooled enough for assembling when Claire arrived. I was so excited that i forgot to take pictures of the assembling. I did not take pictures perhaps i was skeptical that the wine will be a success as i know that i will break all rules and superstitions - I did not have a mouthful of sugar when i started making, i talked alot and made it in broad daylight, i did not leave the pot under the bed with a rusty knife on top, i let the 2 pots(crockpots) sitting on the dinning table, perhaps if you make the wine in a glass bottle, it will be better to put it away from the light. According to one of the myths - one should leave the pot alone without peeking, i, of course, have been opening the lids of both the pots and checking for green stuff growing and have been tasting the wine as days go by. Despite of being so rebelious, the wine turned out so sweet and not too alcohlic. The one with the red rice yeast tasted better than the plain one and had more wine, perhaps the extra yeast present in the red rice gave the extra kick and for the extra wine, i think i had sprinkled in an extra cup of water. The whole process was worth it and now my younger friends can have Rice Wine Chicken during their confinement, just inform me and i will brew some.

Ingredients:

8 cups/2.2 lbs/1 kg long grain white glutinous rice
1 pc wine yeast (bigger kind brought from Malaysia)
1 pc wine yeast (small kind available in any asian stores here in the States)
1 cup red rice yeast (also available in the asian stores here)
2 cups filtered water for sprinkling.

Method:

Wash the glutinous rice, drain, and place in rice cooker with enough water to cover the surface(it is just like cooking regular jasmine rice). Put to cook, and when rice is cooked, remove from the rice cooker, then spread it onto foil covered baking sheets and leave to cool completely.(make sure new foil is used to cover the baking sheets) Rice must be completely cold before use.

Using a clean coffee grinder, grind the wine yeast and red rice yeast into powder.

To assemble:

Sprinkle a little wine yeast mixture on to a crockpot and then layer with rice(wet hands with the filtered water and flatten a handful and use it for layering).

Sprinkle with more rice yeast all over the rice and then sprinkle with the filtered water.

Repeat the layering - rice, rice yeast and water until all the rice is done.

Lastly pour the remainder of the filtered water.

Cover crockpot with a clean cloth and then the lid.

Leave it to ferment for 7 days, then open lid and give mixture a good stir with a clean wooden spoon.

Cover crockpot with the clean cloth and lid and leave to brew for another 14 days(the total brewing time is 21 days - if you prefer a stronger alcoholic wine leave for another 7 days).

Wine can be harvested on the 21st or 30th day.

Prepare a sieve or a colander and line it with a clean cloth. Put it over a pot to catch the wine.

Put the brewed wine mixture onto the cloth and let the wine dripped.(patience in letting the wine drip slowly will result in very clear wine).

When all the wine has dripped and the residue is quite dry, remove the residue and store it in a jar or air tight container for many more other recipes.

Bring the wine to a quick boil (my wine started to boil at 180f and of course it is cos i am one mile above sea-level)

Let the wine cool before bottling.

Wine is now to be enjoyed in any way you wish.

Serves

Fantastic Way to Make Delicious Easy Rice

This rice recipe I will share with you is really, really simple...

Rice is a very "Mexican thing to eat" (not only Asian people eat rice) ... If you go to a Hispanic Store you will find HUGE bags of rice, and trust me.... As a Mexican I know if we buy a bag like that, we will go through it really quick

Rice goes great with most Mexican dishes, its mild flavor goes great with the way we cook meat, peppers, etc... Besides, it is a great "filler".

This recipe makes a lot of rice (for about 6 people, so you can cut it by half to try it first)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Long Grain Rice
• 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth (another way of measuring the liquid for the rice, is that there should be about an inch of water above the level of the rice)
• 1 or clove of garlic
• 1/4 white onion (chopped) - or 1/2 white onion if the onion is small.
• 1 tomato (fresh) or 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cube of tomato bouillon.
• 1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil (it can be olive oil)
• 1 cup of canned mixed vegetables or canned cubed carrots -rinse well- (optional)
• 1 stem (with leaves) of cilantro
• 1 serrano pepper (optional)
• Salt to taste (about 2 tsp.)

Directions:

1. Fry the rice in the oil until it is not translucent any more, it should be an opaque white. (medium heat)

2. Add the onion and garlic and turn the rice around with a spoon (wooden spoon is ideal) keep frying until the rice turns into a light golden color.
3. Add the chicken broth and tomato (fresh or canned), season with salt and add the tomato bouillon, leave it uncovered until it starts boiling.

4. Once it is boiling, add the canned vegetables and the serrano pepper.

5. Cover the pot of the rice and decrease the heat just so it simmers for about 25 minutes. (see next step though)
6. Check the rice after the first 15 minutes of simmering test it for doneness and check the water, if it seems to be too dry and the rice is still hard add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.

7. Add the cilantro and cover again, let it keep cooking for the remaining time (still low heat).

8. Remove from the fire and serve.

Provecho!

Paloma.

Vanilla and Cardamon Risotto with Berries

(about 4 servings)

This is a creamy rice pudding I make using the same method for making risotto. As always, I count on a ratio of about 1 rice to 4 parts liquid.

2 tsp butter
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1 tsp ground cardamon
*3 - 3 1/2 cups milk, heated
1-2 tbsp honey, to taste
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 pint (or more) fresh berries



Melt the butter in a non stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice and stir until it's coated with the butter. Stir in the cardamon.

Stir the honey into the warmed milk. Begin adding the milk to the rice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the milk has absorbed into the rice.

*When you get to the last 1/2 cup or so of milk, add the vanilla  to the risotto as well. I sometimes end up using a bit extra milk at this point, depending on how much "bite" is left to the rice. Stir to combine everything well. Turn off the heat and cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes.

Stir and serve warm or allow to cool completely. Top with the berries.

Mushroom Risotto

(4 servings)

In all fairness, when all said and done, this is a pretty unattractive looking dish. Disappointing considering the time and patience which went into it. This takes about 30-40 minutes to make and you can't leave it; you have to stand there to keep stirring it.

It is quite delicious though, so ultimately, I don't mind. I usually count on  a ratio of 1 rice to 4 liquid; give or take a bit.

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup hot water
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/3 cups arborio rice
1 cup red wine
2 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups beef broth, heated
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt to taste

Add the porcini mushrooms to the hot water and soak about 30 minutes or until they are soft.

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the onion and garlic. Saute over low heat until the mixture takes on an amber hue.

Add the pepper, thyme and rice and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of wine and cook, stirring until most of the liquid has absorbed into the rice, then add the other 1/2 cup.

Remove the porcini mushrooms from the water; reserve the liquid. Chop them up.

When the wine is absorbed, add the porcini mushrooms and the mushroom liquid.. Add the fresh chopped mushrooms too.

Once the liquid is  absorbed, add the beef broth 1/2 cup at a time until the risotto is tender and creamy with a slight bite. If I've used up all the liquid and it could use a bit more, I usually add a splash of wine, but water will do. :)

Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and check and adjust the seasoning.

Creamy Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Risotto

(4 servings)

Risotto is typically made with a starchy short grain rice such as arborio. Hot broth is added in small amounts and cooked until it's absorbed into the rice, creating a creamy consistency. Usually, you can count on using about 4 cups of broth for every cup of rice.

This isn't a dish you can cover and leave as it requires constant stirring as the liquid is absorbed. It takes about 30-40 minutes to make and the time spent is well worth the result, I think.

4 cups vegetable broth
1 butternut squash (about 1 lb)
2 tsp butter
1 sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup arborio rice
salt to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 cup dry white wine
about 5 oz soft goat's cheese, (it was a small package, so give or take a bit)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut the squash into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and cut into small  1/2 "cubes, (don't worry if the squash seems undercooked in parts). Alternately, you could skip this step and just remove the skin and seeds and shred them. I don't like fighting it out with the tough skin, so I just throw them into the oven to make the removal easier.

Heat the broth and add the squash. Cook for about 5 minutes, then lower the heat to keep hot.

Melt the butter over med-low heat in a non-stick skillet, and add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is light brown in colour, about 10 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium and add the rice, salt, pepper and sage. Stir well until the rice is evenly coated with the onion mixture.

Add the wine and stir frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed. Reduce to heat to about medium low and add the broth mixture by the ladle, and continue to cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed after each addition.

When the risotto is practically done, add the goat cheese and stir well. Let the risotto stand for 2-5 minutes, then serve.